Corpus Christi Procession on June 3rd

What is a Corpus Christi procession?

Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ) is a centuries old feast which celebrates the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. It has long been a tradition in the Church to hold a procession on Corpus Christi Sunday with the Blessed Sacrament, giving a public witness to our faith in Christ, truly present in the Eucharist.

What will our procession look like?

Our procession here in Washington will begin at St. Francis Borgia Church immediately following the 11:00am Mass and, after stopping at three altars along the way for prayers and a blessing, will arrive at Our Lady of Lourdes where we will conclude with benediction. Two of the altars will be at set up at the homes of parishioners who live along the route and a third will be at the Mercy Medical Building at the southwest corner of 3 rd Street and Highway 47. Throughout the procession, we will be singing Eucharistic hymns and praying litanies and devotional prayers. Fourth degree Knights of Columbus will process in their full regalia and this year’s first communicants are invited to dress in their first communion attire as well. The whole procession will be about 1.5 miles long and take around an hour. After benediction at Our Lady of Lourdes, a shuttle will be provided back to St. Francis Borgia.

What if I can’t walk that far?

Those who are unable to participate in the procession itself are invited to join us for a holy hour at Our Lady of Lourdes from 12:00-1:00pm during which many of the same prayers will be prayed and hymns sung that we will pray and sing during the procession.